U.S. Official Says Sanctions against Myanmar to Continue
Translator
Antara
Editor
Petir Garda Bhwana
Kamis, 23 Maret 2023 11:06 WIB
Counselor of the US Department of State, Derek Chollet, issuing a statement to reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (March 22, 2023). (ANTARA/Shofi Ayudiana)
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States will continue to impose further sanctions against Myanmar’s junta, stated Counselor of the U.S. Department of State Derek Chollet on Wednesday.
Additional sanctions and measures are necessary to make it more difficult for Myanmar’s junta to generate revenue to buy weapons, he added.
“We're committed to continuing to ratchet up the pressure on the junta and make it harder for them to generate revenue, which is fueling its war machine,” he told reporters in Jakarta.
The U.S. has thus far enacted targeted sanctions against 80 individuals and 32 entities inside Myanmar. It will continue to do so until it changes course, he added.
Chollet said that Washington also remains committed to working with its allies and partners in ASEAN and beyond to try and address the multifaceted challenge coming from the crisis in Myanmar, due to “which, unfortunately, Myanmar is on the path to becoming a failed state in the heart of Southeast Asia.”
He informed that, during his visit to Jakarta, he met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to discuss ways to continue to work together to help build the capacity of the pro-democratic opposition in Myanmar.
The U.S. strongly supports ASEAN's decision to downgrade the political representation of Myanmar at summits and at foreign minister-level meetings, he added.
"The regime needs to fully understand that as long as it continues to prosecute such a brutal campaign against their own people, they will suffer the consequences for that. And that will include further isolation in the international community," he said.
At a summit in Jakarta in April 2021, nine ASEAN leaders and Myanmar junta chief, Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had agreed to a five-point consensus on responding to the crisis in Myanmar.
The consensus called for an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance from ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
However, two years after the military coup against the elected government of Myanmar, there has been no progress on part of the junta in implementing the peace plan initiated by ASEAN.
